


The Caretaker of Mount Vesperia

by Lkcsi



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, Angst with a Happy Ending, Grief/Mourning, Immortal!Yuri and Human!Flynn, Love at First Sight, M/M, Mayfly-December Relationship, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26661067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lkcsi/pseuds/Lkcsi
Summary: There is a legend of old about Mount Vesperia and Lake Aurnion resting beside it. It is a story of everlasting love between the Caretaker of the mountain called Yuri and a human hunter named Flynn.
Relationships: Yuri Lowell/Flynn Scifo
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37





	The Caretaker of Mount Vesperia

**Author's Note:**

> Strongly inspired by the legends of Maria Makiling and some of the creation myths of places of the Philippines. And I made them less tragic, because damn, folk legends have this trend of star-crossed lovers ALL THE TIME and people wonder why we're dramatic.
> 
> Shout out to Yurivil and Juni for helping me iron this fic out! ^w^

In the mountain called Mount Vesperia, the spirit Yuri roamed in its forests as its Caretaker. When the first humans came to settle on the foot of his mountain, he quickly grew fond of them. He rewarded the good humans with plentiful game and lumber for their shelter. One occasion of this was when a hunter was lost in his forests. Yuri found him and disguised himself as a foal trapped in a tree's hollow, intending to test the hunter's honor. Fortunately the hunter chose to hack away at the tree's trunk to allow the foal to escape, and Yuri rewarded him with a fat wild boar and guided the path to his village with fireflies. Another was when he disguised himself as an old woman trying to pull planks of sturdy wood to barter in the market. Young children would come and help by taking the reins or pushing the logs at the other end, and Yuri gave them all small nuggets of gold in return. And once when the humans began to form rituals for his divine favor, he allowed the rain to wash fertile and rich soil from his mountain down to their farmlands.

Sometimes humans did things the Caretaker disapproved of, and his punishments could be cruel. One time the humans began logging too much, and so he mustered all his strength and caused a great earthquake to shatter the foundations of their homes. Another time was when he took the form of a frail old man chopping wood, and a group of youth sneered at and bullied him, and so he turned them into helpless frogs and set them loose near a den of snakes. There was also an instance wherein a woman refused to barter fairly to him, offering fruit with rotten cores and worms in exchange for his cassava, and so punished her by poisoning her farm when she planted the cursed seedlings. He was not so heartless however; he had made sure that no young children died in his earthquake, that the snakes regurgitated the frogs when they prayed for his mercy and that they were back to their true form, and that the woman's soil could be cleansed by sacrificing a hen with milk-white feathers and spilling its blood on the ground where she had planted his cassava.

Mount Vesperia stood mighty and just over the townsfolk, but also sent gentle breezes to cool their homes.

One day, Yuri decided to guise himself as a human and descended from his mountain with magical ginger in his hand to barter—to give away, if he were to be honest, since he would have no true use of anything the humans might give him. He shed his silken robes of the colors of his mountain and tied his waist-length hair back. He wore the common outfit of humans, a simple shirt, a pair of trousers, and shoes of hemp. He carried his ginger in a woven basket and set out to join the market, where he looked for the next human he would bless. Entering the market he craned his neck for anyone he found interesting, until he found a young boy with brown hair that had a little curl attempting to trade buffalo hide for food. The young boy was already talking to a yellow-haired man carrying a basket of spiced meat who seemed interested in bartering with the boy. Yuri reached out to touch the animal hide to fix a blessing on it, only for him to be interrupted by the man accidentally bumping his shoulder on him.

Their surprised gazes met and held. Yuri found himself completely mesmerized by the shimmer of the man's eyes, which held the deep color of the faraway sea he could view from the summit of his mountain, or perhaps the clear sky above it, or perhaps the fuzzy area where sea and sky met in the horizon. Lost in that brilliant shade of blue, he couldn't decide. All that he could tell was that the man whose eyes he was staring into was _breathtaking._ That moment was undeniably love at first sight; their eyes only broke away a few moments later, when they began to blush.

The blond man ended up exchanging the meat in his basket for the hide. Yuri snuck a spell on the meat, guaranteeing great health on whoever ate it.

"Um," the human stammered. "Were... did... did you also want some of the hide? I think I could still make a good cloak without using up all of this..."

"No, no. It's fine. Please take it all," Yuri said, but the blond pressed on further.

"Please follow me to my home. I feel bad taking all of this when you were also interested in bartering for this."

"The market works like that, so don't worry-"

"I insist. Please. I would not be able to be at peace if I leave you like this."

Floored and amazed at the humility and selflessness of this human, Yuri resolved to follow him. The human's home was a simple little house built with stone and wood. There were almost no decorations save for a few potted plants, a little tapestry, and books lined up neatly on a makeshift shelf. Slyly, the Caretaker of the mountain placed a spell on the home; _no disaster will topple its pillars and walls and no pests will eat away the wood and the roof._ A gray spotted cat mewed and rubbed its body happily on Yuri, the look in its big blue eyes conveying that the feline had recognized his divinity and greeted him. He also ended up blessing the cat with long life and good hunts. Inwardly Yuri laughed; he really wasn't the kind of spirit to throw blessings everywhere like pebbles he could pick up from the ground. 

"What a lovely little creature you are," Yuri murmured, scritching the top of its head.

"She's a stray that likes hanging out in my home. Helps keep the mice away from my house and the town's grain."

"Have you given her a name?"

"Not really. I just call her Kitty."

Yuri moved his scritching to Kitty's chin. "You be a good little cat and help the town out, okay?"

The cat mewed happily, satisfying the spirit. When he turned, he found Flynn already bringing out a pair of large scissors, intending to halve the buffalo hide.

"Are you sure you want to trade? You'll have more uses for that."

"I have enough to fashion a cloak against the rain." The human gestured to other hides hanging on a line. "The outer layer might just be a lot shorter than I intend to be."

"Why would you need to go out in the rain?"

"When I go to hunt sometimes, it rains a little. I'm frankly getting a bit tired of getting soaked to the bone." The human smiled to himself. "Maybe I could implore the Caretaker of the mountain to have some mercy on me next time."

 _You're talking to him,_ Yuri didn't say. "You are a hunter?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I have been for many years now. Mainly I use my light bow to hunt birds and small wild boar, but I couldn't afford the crossbow from beyond the Sea of Belius. Maybe if I save up enough, I could buy one." He suddenly froze. "Oh, I-I am so sorry. I didn't intend to-to talk so much about me. And I haven't even given you my name." Yuri chuckled at his flustering, only amused when the human thrust his hand forward in an invitation for a handshake. "My name is Flynn. Flynn Scifo."

Yuri shook the hand, and stopped the flow of his blood from reaching his cheeks when he noticed the sheer warmth of the human's grip. "Yuri."

"Oh, you share the name of the mountain's spirit."

"Well, I do live in the mountains," he offered a smile, and wondered whether this human—Flynn—caught on, but his answer suggested that no, he didn't. 

"In all my years of exploring the mountain, I have never met you before! Where do you live there?"

"Oh, just around." He laid another clue as to who he was, but it seemed Flynn was denser than he first thought.

"A nomad? A hermit?"

Yuri only shrugged.

"Then it only gives me more reason to give you the hide I have! It would help you keep warm for a long time!" Now Flynn actually cut the hide, even when Yuri attempted to stop him. The spirit just gave up when Flynn fixed him an insistent glance. 

"I can manage, Flynn. I'll be alright. The foul weather doesn't bother me in the least." Yet another clue, but the human seemed so fixed on the idea of his guest being anything but the spirit of the mountain itself.

"But please. I make cloaks for a living, too. It might be very useful for you. I'm good with my hands."

Yuri finally completely gave up. "I'll trade you my ginger. It helps to cure any ailments you might have from your trips in the mountain."

"Oh, ginger is very useful. I'll accept the trade."

They made the trade, Yuri giving Flynn his magical ginger and Flynn promising on his honor, the cat, and in the name of Vesperia's Caretaker that he would have the cloak finished in a week.

And he did. Yuri returned to Flynn's home and found him putting finishing touches on the cloak, now cured and cleaned and even steamed. When he (and the spotted cat) announced his arrival, he almost cackled when the blond human blushed red, jumped, and fell off his chair. There was a lot of stuttering and awkward silences afterwards, ending when Yuri weighed the cloak in his hand.

"Oh, it's lighter than I thought it would be."

"Ah, well," Flynn scratched his head, his habit when he was blushing so hard he couldn't think, "I removed the parts that still had fluids in it... umm... the buffalo was skinned and cured by an amateur, it just got lighter when I... it's hard to explain..."

"It's fine. Thank you for this cloak," Yuri replied. Flynn only scratched his head more, so much that his normally already choppy locks looked so tousled.

"Um... I know we just met, but if I may... I'd love to know you better." Flynn suddenly paled as soon as the words left his lips. "To be friends with you! I mean!"

"You're awfully straightforward," the spirit dryly remarked.

Flynn hung his head and groaned to himself, saying, "I'm sorry."

"No, no. Don't get all sorry," Yuri said as he lifted his free hand up and ruffled soft blond locks, "it's actually really cute."

Flynn gained color again, but perhaps a bit too much color, because he was back to being as red as an apple. "Am I really cute?"

"You are very adorable."

"Oh, I... thanks. You look beautiful- I mean, you look very... umm..." His words ran out again, his anxiety visibly racking him. If only he could see Yuri blush, too.

"Why don't we go out later for the Planting Festival?" The spirit suggested. "I like this festival. There'll be dancing and sweets in honor of the Caretaker of Vesperia."

"Sounds great. But while we wait, can I treat you to lunch? I-I can cook us some chicken soup?"

That turned out to be a massive lie, but fortunately Yuri was a deity and could make it taste edible. It seemed, though, that Flynn was rather surprised his food tasted _better._ Yuri would have verbally admonished the human for trying to do things he wasn't born for, but just watching his face light up at the amazed expression Flynn made upon tasting his own food was a sight. Even the cat ate the bits of chicken fed to it, before venturing back outside to hunt for vermin.

Later, the two emerged from Flynn's home to clear skies, greeting the parade of musicians and dancers merrily beginning the festival. Dressed as husks and grains of rice, leaves of potato, as well as various other crops, the dancers flitted about, spinning in sync as if the wind carried them. Performers dressed in the garbs of farmers mimicked the spraying of seeds on fertile soil every other beat of the music. The parade snaked althroughout the neighborhood until it ended at the plaza, where flower stores lined the edges and people gathered to hear the words of the elder.

"Higher being, our Caretaker of Vesperia, these prayers are for you alone," the orator began, and the townsfolk fell quiet. Yuri watched the event unfold with amusement twinkling in his eyes. No one had _any_ idea that the spirit they were praying to was present in the crowd. "Please, grant us a beautiful year of farming. We sow the seeds of our food in your honor. We ask for your protection against pests and famine and calamity, and we hold this festival to implore you for your kindness."

Yuri wanted so badly to roll his eyes, manifest in front of the audience in his silk robes, and begin admonishing the humans for daring to think he would be _not_ fond of them. He loved the humans, and treated them as they treated him, but sometimes he just wished they stopped talking like this. Why hadn't he already done that, anyway?

Then four young men carried covered trays. The spirit's mouth watered. There was the reason. There was something humans made that spirits didn't make.

"We offer you sweet cakes and delicacies and we hope it satisfies you, O spirit."

"Yuri," Flynn elbowed him with a wide smile, "you look like you want to eat those."

"I'm really, really fond of those things."

"The spirit of Vesperia is also famed to have a sweet tooth," the blond human mused, "and, as I hear it, has long dark hair, pale skin, and purple eyes. You do look like the depictions. Were you named after-"

"Oh my," Yuri muttered as he stared happily and licked his lips at the steaming cakes when the lids were opened. "Flynn, I want to eat the cakes..." He trudged forward and reached out, his cravings getting the better of him, but Flynn gripped his wrist.

"You aren't supposed to eat that! They’re for Yuri of Vesperia! Not Yuri the nomad!"

"But I'm-" _literally the Caretaker of Mount Vesperia._

"I can buy you cakes here, if you want!" The human pulled the spirit away from the center of the plaza where the best cakes were, and led him to a stall selling the same type of cake. After purchasing an armful of cakes and a bag to hold them, Flynn briefly left to buy something else. Standing there and waiting for the human, Yuri munched on his food, remarking on how well it was made and the quality of the sugar sprinkled on it. He sank his teeth into the stuff, the sweetness and stickiness of it getting better with each bite.

Flynn returned after having plucked a hibiscus flower, bright scarlet in color, and sheepishly presented it to Yuri. The spirit reached for it and held on the fleshy stem, smiling down at the full petals and the long stamen extruding out from its center. It was an ephemeral gift—the flower would wilt soon, but it was present. An obvious courting present.

"Do you like it?"

Yuri nodded eagerly. "Yes. It's thoughtful and pretty."

"I think it'll look even prettier when we put it here," Flynn took the flower from Yuri's hand and tucked it into his hair. Now the flower was on his temple, decorating his hair and complimenting his pink face. "There. Much better."

Yuri bit his lip and hid it behind his half-eaten delicacy. What a charming human, he thought. His heart fluttering like the beats of a butterfly's wings, Yuri blushed uncontrollably.

He had already fallen in love with Flynn.

* * *

After that festival, a close friendship between the spirit and the human commenced, a dance of unspoken courtship. 

Yuri would suddenly appear near Flynn whenever the latter went to hunt and direct him to places where game was, or show him safe areas where Flynn could rest, sometimes even helping him build shelter to sleep outside for the night. Whenever Flynn would have to stay overnight on the mountain, Yuri kept watch, shooing away animals and keeping the fire burning, even if he could will the cold to stay away from him. Having a nearby light source to illuminate such a handsome man's sleeping face was handy, especially that the Caretaker was addicted to the flutters Flynn caused in his stomach.

At times when Flynn caught Yuri first, he'd always ask the other out for a leisurely stroll in the village or in the plains that surrounded it. He would point out things from his childhood, things he found interesting, and people dear to him. There was Karol, the small boy selling buffalo hide on the fateful day they met, and his older sister Rita, who was one of the brightest students of the village and was to embark on a journey soon to the urban city where she could become a scholar. There was the old man Hanks, still full of vitality, and Niren, the man who raised Flynn and trained him to be a hunter, who brought him to the seaside city of Nordopolica twice before. Yuri, having had no family to speak of except perhaps the higher gods, found his life story full of awe and wonder.

On a bright, sunny day, when Yuri was feeling especially wonderful to cause good weather, Flynn dragged Yuri up towards the mountain. 

"I have to show you something," Flynn said, as he led Yuri off the mountain's trail to a serene and remote cliff facing the west. Below the cliff were towering trees, and beyond the end of the forest lay the multicolored roofs of the village's houses, the vast plains and plantations, and rolling hills. Then even beyond was the deep blue of a distant sea, blurring into the sky. Yuri had seen this sight countless times before, but with Flynn's hand clasped in his, with Flynn who hadn't had the luxury of eternal life, the allure and charm of this view became different. They sat down on a boulder together in happy silence.

"This is my favorite part of the mountain," Flynn spoke, "I can see the village from here, and also the sea. Isn't the view so beautiful?"

Yuri agreed. "It is." He looked longingly at the sea. "I have never gone there. I've never seen vast waters before."

"You haven't seen the sea? Have you ever left the mountain and travelled?"

"No. Not at all. I couldn't leave, even if I wanted to. I've seen water no bigger than glorified puddles, or when the basin at the base gets filled in the monsoon season." He turned to Flynn. "What does the sea look like? Can you tell me?"

Flynn rattled off instantly. "There is white sand, which gets hot in the day. At night, the sand gets cold. The funny thing is that at day, the water is colder, but at night, it's warm. The sand also glitters sometimes when the sun is so bright. Then there's the waves. You hear the water crashing on the shore even when you're in the middle of the city, and when the wind's so strong it's so loud, you sometimes can't hear anything else. There's also white foam, made of tiny, really little bubbles. Then when you look there," he pointed to the horizon, "it's so flat, but it looks like the water is always moving. You can see ships from there, too. And when the sun touches the water when it's sunset... it makes the water so orange and black, it's so mesmerizing."

Yuri closed his eyes, and imagined what he could from what Flynn told him. Water, lapping at the shoreline with crashing sounds with powerful gusts of wind. "It must be so wonderful to experience that. To see something so pretty."

"It is a lovely experience. But Yuri, you know..." Flynn said, and Yuri felt warm fingers meekly touch his cheek, "there's no other sight that rivals how utterly beautiful you are."

Red rose to his cheeks and the tips of his ears as Flynn's impossibly azure eyes drew him in.

"Yuri..." He brushed back stray dark hair to reveal more of his face. "Nothing else in this world compared to you and the wonders you bring to me, thus I have fallen in love with you. You are so beautiful, inside and out. You are like a defiant bloom in the drought, the lovely moonlight in the dark." Flynn leaned in closer, so that their faces were just a breath's breadth away from each other. "I love you, Yuri."

Flynn closed the distance between their lips and pressed his warm mouth against Yuri's. The breeze stilled and then swirled around the leaves and the trees and the plants as the spirit relaxed, his eyes fluttering closed as the feeling of a first kiss tingled his mind, body, and soul. Flynn's hands flew and landed on his shoulders, caressing his arms and holding him close, and Yuri reciprocated the intimate embrace by wrapping his own arms around the other's waist. Calloused and rough fingers stroked soft hair. Delicate hands traced the hard angles of muscle underneath layers of clothes. It all felt natural, just melding their lips together and touching each other in a mutual confession of love, trust, and affection, so natural that Yuri accidentally dropped his human guise. The wind blew in the spirit’s endless joy.

Only when Flynn stopped carding through ink-dark strands and ventured down back did he notice that the rough cotton shirt was suddenly replaced with smooth silk. He pulled back, confused, and when he opened his eyes, he was greeted by the ethereal glow of Yuri's true form. Yuri's face possessed a literal radiance, and his body was clothed in the dark green tones of the mountain. Recognition slapped Flynn with the force of a wolf's lunge, and as a result he made a noise that was in between an alarmed shriek and a confounded gasp. He sprang backwards and immediately prostrated himself before the red-faced Caretaker.

"Spirit of the mountain!" Flynn exclaimed, touching his forehead on the dirt. "Please forgive me! I was insolent! I am ashamed of my crass audacity of-of... of kissing you!" 

"Flynn-"

"I will accept whatever punishment you deem fitting, O divine Caretaker! I shall voice no complaint and bear the burden! I will also never, ever dare to ask you selfishly of favors for myself! I only implore that you show me even a tidbit of mercy!"

Yuri rolled his eyes, and decided that if Flynn _really_ wanted to keep up the spirit thing, then he'd act like one for once. He cleared his throat and briefly pretended to be a snooty deity with all the thee's and the thou's. "Flynn Scifo, hunter of the village, kneeleth on your knees." Yuri wasn't even sure he said it correctly. The human thankfully obeyed, but the poor man was shaking like a chick in a storm. 

"Yes...?"

"I want you to close your eyes."

Fearfully, Flynn followed the order, squeezing his eyes shut for some perceived punishment he wouldn't want to see, but all Yuri did was kneel down on the ground in front of him and rush forward to kiss his lips, pushing the human down on the ground. It took a moment before the human got the hint—that the Caretaker of Vesperia loved him, too—and kissed back. Then, after their kiss, they lied down together on the leafy ground, shoulder-to-shoulder, exhilarated and also exhausted.

Yuri was the first among them to break the comfortable silence between them. "Was that your first kiss?"

"Ah... well, no... when I was younger, I was dared to kiss the butcher's daughter..."

"I see. Well, it was mine." Flynn shot him a look of surprise, so Yuri elaborated further. "I never fell in love before, or kissed someone like that."

"Oh..." Flynn smiled idiotically. "I'm the first one to steal the Caretaker's heart?"

Yuri mocked a frown. "Do whatever you want with it, thief."

"I'm going to keep it stored safe right here," Flynn tapped on the middle of his chest, "since the heart in there was also stolen."

"Heh. Stolen by me."

"Yes." He sighed with a grin. "To think you're really Yuri of Vesperia. I thought you looked like the spirit when we first met, but all the time I thought it was just a coincidence."

"I look like me, I live in the mountain, and I love sweets," Yuri enumerated, "and you didn't notice? You're really dense. Your cat knew the moment it saw me."

"Really? Ahh... well, I thought you just looked like, um, you... and I had some suspicion when you wanted the cakes..."

"I still want some cakes."

"And... you live in an indeterminate part of the mountain... and you weren't from the village... and I still didn't put it together. Wow, the more I think about it, the dumber I sound like, don't I?"

That ripped a cackle out of Yuri. "Well, I find it all cute, if it's any consolation."

"Heh. I guess you do find me cute. Otherwise, you wouldn't kiss me like that, won't you?"

"You're really dense," the spirit teased, slapping the other's shoulder lightly. "Why did you have to apologize for kissing me, though? I'd thought you'd known about how I felt about you. I thought I was obvious enough."

"Um... I grew up hearing stories about how you punish wrongdoers. Kids tend to be scared and bring some lessons to adulthood. I didn't want to be a frog."

"Oh, now I'm a demon that scares away the children?" He sat up and poked Flynn's belly. "Imagine you, being very small and scared of me. Boo!"

"Ah, well I'm not scared anymore. I love you."

Yuri blushed and grinned, and laid back down to mash his lips on Flynn's face.

Flynn went home later at twilight with the kisses of the spirit Caretaker, dirt still on his face, and a fat, healthy wild boar to share with the townsfolk. 

Thus did their whirlwind romance begin.

* * *

Weeks passed for the two of them like a blur, only summarized by the strong attraction between them. They made frequent getaways to the thicker and denser parts of the forest, sneaking kisses and intimate touches, always dancing together during whatever celebration. No other human knew of Flynn's lover's true identity, only identifying him as the mysterious man from the mountains. They didn’t even notice the coincidence of the good weather and Flynn’s wonderful lovestruck mood. A year into their romance, Yuri impulsively brought Flynn out to the foot of Mount Vesperia.

"Don't you want to see the secrets of the mountain?" Yuri asked, taking the human by surprise. Flynn had long gone over the awkward blushing part of their relationship, but now he was rapidly reddening, and Yuri couldn't figure out why.

"I-I think I'd like that," Flynn stammered, and then he squeaked when Yuri wrapped his arms around him.

"Make sure to hold on me. I'll lend you some of my divinity, 'kay?"

"Wait, why-?"

"It'll help you not die when we visit the more toxic areas and do some magic."

"Magic?"

"You know when I suddenly manifest out of thin air? It's magic."

Flynn only made a noise of understanding, then, "How would you give me some 'divinity'?"

"Oh, there's one way I can think of right now, which you might really, really like." Yuri dove in to kiss Flynn, delving his tongue between the latter's lips. It was an odd way to transfer some magic, but he guessed it worked perfectly, especially that they loved each other anyway. He could have just given him a chaste touch, like a simple touching of his palm on the blond's head, but sometimes, a kiss was warranted.

"Did you really need to do that, Yuri?" Flynn asked after their kiss ended.

"It worked, didn't it?" Yuri giggled. "You just look so cute, with your face getting all pink like that." 

Flynn scratched his head in response, stupid grin fixed on his face. "I mean, maybe it did. I actually feel really... strong. And-and oh, oh... I can see... things far away... hey, that's a dragonbird...!"

"Sounds like it did. First things first. Don't get carried away with the additional powers, 'kay? It'll wear off. Probably. I'm not sure."

"Got that, but I'm not sure how to handle this."

"Just press yourself very close to me, and don't let go. I'll manage things for both of us."

Flynn nodded, then laid his chin atop Yuri's shoulder. "Okay."

"Hope you're ready. We'll be the wind in three... two... one..."

And with that, the pair vanished in a puff of white air, and reappeared in a crevice on the other side of the mountain. 

The couple explored uncharted parts of the mountain, deemed too dangerous to get through because of too many thorny bushes, venomous snakes, and even steep cliffs. Flynn laid his eyes on views previously unseen by any human. A new angle to look northwestward, one side of the village visible just to the left. A peek into the nest of apes. A hidden overhang of rock one might shelter themself under, if only it were accessible through any other way that didn't involve Yuri's magic. Then they decided to go underground, where Yuri glowed brightly, as if he were a torch to illuminate the darkness. They crept into vast caverns full of untouched waters, stalactites and stalagmites decorating the hidden cave. There were even deep hollows where massive crystals formed, glittering violet in Yuri's natural light. The hollows were incredibly hot, but Flynn was protected by magic, and he was able to burn the beauty of the bright purple crystals onto his memory. The Caretaker took a crystalline shard, then morphed it into the shape of a teardrop. Metal materialized from thin air and molded itself into the shape of a setting, wherein the shard fit snugly. Lastly, a piece of thread wove itself through a hole in the setting. He dropped the finished necklace onto Flynn's palm and placed a kiss on the knuckles enclosed around the crystal.

"A special gift for a special person," Yuri murmured, breathing a blessing into the little crystal— _long life, protection from all harm, and great luck._

"You made me an amulet?"

"Oh no, I made you earrings." Yuri rolled his eyes and laughed for a while as he tied the thread around Flynn's neck. "It is an amulet, silly."

Flynn looked down on his neck and lifted the jewel up. "It's... pretty," he murmured with awe. "I'm sorry I can't make you something as beautiful as this-"

"You don't need to. I give you this because I choose to. And you've already given me the prettiest gift of love, haven't you?"

The human scratched blond hair and pouted, turning even redder. "I guess... thank you, Yuri."

"You've been so red the entire time, by the way. Is it too hot-?"

"No, no," Flynn floundered about, raising his hands up. "It's not that."

"Then what's up?"

"I... um," he started, "I've... just always wondered. Are you the mountain? Or just a god that lives here?"

"Hmm," the spirit paused in thought, half in puzzlement and half in pondering, "Guess you can say that. I can do whatever I want in this mountain and with this mountain. I can feel everything in it. I was also 'born' here, but I am also 'here'. It's like... we're almost the same entity, only I'm supposed to take care of it."

"Ah... then..." Flynn shrank again, his cheeks painted bright pink, "we're... basically exploring _you_."

It took a long minute before Yuri figured out the source of Flynn's sudden silence and constant blushing, and he raised a brow with a smirk. Humans were awfully mysterious in some ways, but he knew that they considered their own bodies to be private. And Yuri himself considered some parts of the mountain as _secrets_ , and he was showing this human, the object of his affection, his most treasured places. It brought a dash of pink on his own face, too; wasn't he allowing Flynn to know everything about him and his mountain's most remote places, even though he hadn't been _aware_ of it at the beginning?

"Come with me," the spirit said as he led him out of the cave, "this is the way to the top of the mountain. It's just a bit of a walk, and I'll show you some last things before we get to my home."

Yuri and Flynn hiked uphill once they left the mouth of the cave. The spirit lifted Flynn up with his own arms and with small movements of earth whenever an incline was too steep or when Flynn was on the verge of falling down. At the highest summit of the mountain was a small hollow basin where only grass and short shrubs grew. And then there was a small hut. Yuri's hut.

"I didn't know Caretakers needed houses like humans."

"I don't need it."

"Then why?"

"Built it for you to rest properly for when you reach the top." He clapped his hands together. "Also, no one has actually gone here yet, so congratulations, Flynn. You're the first human to reach where I usually hang out when I have nothing to do."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We should rest, right?"

"Do," Flynn stumbled when Yuri pulled him by the wrist towards the hut, "do spirits get tired?"

"Yeah. I've been magicking you the entire day. You do note giving you some divinity and constantly using magic gets a bit tiring, right?"

"But it was your idea-!"

"Just get into the hut." He whisked Flynn into the little wooden house impatiently.

The hut was barely furnished except for a few pieces of assembled furniture without much of aesthetic. They were austere and minimalistic, the work of someone who hadn't truly been trained in carpentry. There was a bed enough for two people, maybe three if they were squished together, then there were two tables and two chairs. There were windows that closed with tiny doors. The 'curtains' were small, multicolored pebbles with thread strung through them. On one of the tables was a glass jar, and inside the glass jar was a certain hibiscus flower, although it was already browned by time.

"Is that the flower I gave you?" Flynn picked up the jar gingerly and carefully, and then inspected the flower as closely as he could. "You preserved it..."

"How could I not try and preserve the flower of that handsome guy at the festival who was so obviously into me?"

Flynn chuckled heartily before placing the jar back on top of the table. "I guess I was. But to be fair, you were also really obvious."

"I know." He grinned, nostalgia falling over both of them like a blanket. It had been a year or so had already passed since their first ever meeting, the day when their shoulders touched and their eyes fell on each other the first time. It had already been a year since they first went out together during the Planting Festival. 

"It's been some time, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Flynn agreed, "I still remember it plain as day. You were just so pretty, I couldn't... not think of you every night before I sleep or every morning when I wake up."

"Wow. Was I consuming your thoughts?"

"Every second."

"And what were you thinking about?" Yuri licked his lips in a suggestive manner before sitting on the edge of the bed and crossing his legs. He saw Flynn's entire body twitch, and almost giggled to himself.

"W-well, I wanted to kiss you..."

"How did you want to kiss me? Show me." He knew he was egging his poor human on, but it was interesting how Flynn went through a cycle of blushing and paling, before gently pushing Yuri down on the soft bed and settled himself on top, ferocious ardor in his kisses.

"I've always wanted this," Flynn murmured against his lips before moving in to kiss once more.

That night, Yuri learned all about the searing passion and the blissful pleasure between lovers.

* * *

"Humans and spirits're not supposed to be together. Ya know that, right?"

Vesperia's Caretaker glared up at the god of the southwest winds, bringer of the typhoon. Normally it would have been disrespect were it a human, but a mountain was as much a part of nature as the monsoon. And Raven had passed by Vesperia countless times in the eternity before, and will likely pass by countless more in the eternity after.

"You can fuck off, leave me alone, and start stirring up the season's shitstorm, old man. Don't get too caught up, though. The humans tend to over-pray when their crops die in the flood, and I can't really do much about the monsoon rains."

"Look, Yuri, ignorin' the fact you're a spirit and he's human, yer just settin' yerself up for major heartbreak."

"I'm _happy._ See? _"_ He bared his teeth like an animal in danger. "How about you? Still trying to get Northeast's attention?"

"At least Judith's a spirit, not human. There's still a chance for her to notice me."

"Will tell her all about you when she comes visiting in a few months," he grumbled. "If this love is so _forbidden_ , then why do we spirits feel it? Why can we feel romance for humans? Absolute _shit._ I'll wring Creator's neck the next time I see them."

"Hey, hey, calm down. I'm just-"

"I _can't_ calm down! You're making this all up to be some kind of curse!" The clouds above the mountain darkened and thunder growled in warning. "I _love_ Flynn and you won't be able to do anything about it! You're not some kind of tribunal!"

Raven sighed in exasperation, and muttered something about 'kids' and 'rebellious phases', which made Yuri get more infuriated. The wind howled in his rage.

"A _phase?!_ Is that what it really is to the higher gods?!"

"What I'm just saying, Yuri, is that you," he pointed at him, "are a spirit that has lived since this world was created, and he's a mortal."

The word 'mortal' rang in his ears. Mortal. Mortal. Flynn was _mortal._ He was _immortal._ He was forever and eternal and Flynn was not. The gathering thunderstorm of his fury dissipated in an instant as realization dawned on him.

"I don't wantcha ta, like... not love him," the wind god solemnly continued, "'cause it's yer first time to love. Don't feel bad. Love isn't a crime, but just consider that, maybe, you'll just live forever while he doesn't."

 _"Yuri?"_ A voice in the distance called out, and Yuri tensed. It was Flynn, calling out his name. His mortal lover Flynn.

_"Yuri, is something wrong?"_

"Go to him. Take all the time ya could with him."

It didn't take much of Raven's urging before Yuri already disappeared in a burst of vapor, only reappearing at the foot of the mountain. Flynn, clad in hunter's gear, was looking around, hands on either side of his mouth calling the spirit's name. When he heard the telltale _woosh_ of Yuri's arrival, he turned to face him with a smile ready. Before he could say something the Caretaker already wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

"Yuri?" Flynn asked, hints of confusion in his question. Nonetheless he still returned the embrace. "Are you okay?"

Yuri couldn't find it in him to lie, but he kept his mouth shut. He only crushed him further in his hug.

"I saw rainclouds gather, but they suddenly went away, and now... um... I really don't think you're okay."

"No," came the spirit's terse reply. "Not really."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Flynn, what am I to you and what do you think your life with me will be?" The questions, he felt, shocked Flynn, but the human had an immediate answer.

"Yuri, you're the love of my life." He kissed his cheek sweetly. "And if I get to spend my entire life with you, I guess I would have enough happiness to outlast the universe."

"... those are big words."

"Big and true. I promise."

"Flynn... I'm a spirit. I can live forever, but... you... I don't know how I could ever spend the rest of forever without you," the spirit confessed tearfully. Raindrops fell from the sky. "I don't want to lose you."

"Are you worried because I'm human?" A sad smile tugged at Flynn's lips. "I see... I see why you're sad. Hey. Look at this." Yuri was pushed away to make room for Flynn to fish for something inside his undershirt. He pulled out the jewel amulet and held it up for both of them to see. "Didn't you make sure I'll live the longest I could with this?" Yuri nodded, wiping his tears with his palms. "I don't know how to comfort you because I couldn't possibly understand how it's like to live forever and outlive the ones you love, but I think it's worth being happy about all the times we had together."

"I still don't know..."

"Come here," he said softly, then nuzzled his nose on Yuri's cheek, "you're as strong as the earth. You're mighty as the mountain. It'll hurt, but I trust you won't mourn me forever."

"I love you," the spirit muttered, kissing whatever parts of Flynn's face and neck he could reach. "I love you, I love you."

"I love you, too."

The wind wailed.

* * *

Flynn turned thirty when he called Yuri for good news. He patted the bark of a tree as if he were knocking on a door. 

"Yuri," he said when he whirled around to see the smiling spirit appear beside him, "I have enough savings to buy a crossbow now!"

"That's great! You deserve some good things," the Caretaker casually replied. "Although you just won't let me give you something valuable enough to sell so you can buy that bowcross."

"Crossbow, Yuri. Crossbow."

"Bowcross," Yuri smirked. "Bowcross, bowcross, bow-"

"Why am I even bothering. For the past nine years you've been saying that." Flynn shook his head as he laughed. "You can get very, very insufferable."

"You can tell the other folks I'm the biggest prankster in the world."

"No. It'll ruin your image."

"I'm the epitome of beauty, thank you very much."

"Yes, you're going to be eternally pretty, aren't you?" Flynn lightly punched his spirit's shoulder. "And always insisting to give me everything in the world."

"Anything for you, Flynny," Yuri teased, the nickname never failing to make Flynn's eyes roll so much they might just pop out of the sockets. "I don't understand why, though. Why you just won't let me get you the stuff you wanted. You could have enjoyed years with the bowcross."

"It's unfair. I shouldn't be treated as anything more special than other humans."

"... but you are special to me."

"Yuri," Flynn said as he pecked his lips, "I know. But please have faith in me. These are things I want to experience. They give color to my life."

And who was Yuri to deny Flynn of what he wanted? So he nodded and acquiesced, but on one condition. "Okay. But don't you dare trip on any rock and get yourself killed. I can't exactly leave my mountain unless it's to the spirit realm."

"Yes. I promise."

"And don't eat anything suspicious-"

"Yes, Yuri-"

"-and don't get attacked by bandits."

"I can take care of them. After all, this'll protect me, right?" He pulled up the crystal amulet. _Long life, protection, and luck._ "You already made sure I'll be fine."

"That's not a surefire way of protecting you. It's just meant to boost-"

Flynn put a finger on Yuri's lips, silencing the latter. "I know. And I know that with this amulet and with the promise of seeing you again, I'll make the round trip safely."

Yuri harrumphed and crossed his arms. "If you don't return, I'm making the entire world as my mountain."

"I know you will. I'm leaving tomorrow at dawn. See me off tomorrow?"

"Sure."

And the next morning, at the crack of daybreak, Yuri manifested himself inside Flynn's home while the latter was preparing for his trip. The spirit couldn't help but place additional spells just in case, much to the human's humor. Flynn left soon after, but not without kissing his beloved spirit first. The Caretaker watched from afar as Flynn's group walked out of the village gates and journeyed towards the direction of the sea. He kept his watchful eye on them until his vision couldn't see them any longer.

About three weeks of anxious waiting passed before Yuri noticed a group of people march from the direction of the Sea of Belius towards the village. There was a dot of blond amongst the humans, and the spirit could have slid down the slope of the mountain in joy, but he patiently waited for when Flynn called him. As soon as the group arrived in the village, the blond human went straight to the mountain with his valuable prize. 

Flynn was greeted with a kiss that said, _I missed you._

* * *

Flynn was forty-two when the ground under him collapsed during a hunting trip. Had he been younger, he would have been able to grab the sturdy vine and pull himself up, but he was no longer as fast and spry as he used to be. His fingers only grazed the vine, and in a second he was falling down a high cliff. He had no time to scream, and he was gripped in fear. His hip hit hard rock and he momentarily lost consciousness until he felt the wind below him blow harshly upwards. His fall was slowed significantly by the tiny tornado. His body landed on the ground with a thud. He groggily responded to some prodding on his face, and groaned.

"Yuri... stop 'at..."

The Caretaker finally stopped poking his cheeks, and leaned down to help him sit up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." Flynn moaned, rubbing his lower back. "That kinda hurt a bit..."

Yuri raised his brows, surprised. "Did something hit you?"

"It's... probably just a twitch when I fell." He grimaced as he twisted his spine. "Ow, ow, ow..."

"Oh, oh goodness, something must have broken..." Yuri muttered before fussing over the human, his hands flying all over the latter's shoulders and waist.

"I'm okay, I'm fine-"

"Lie down and keep your knees up. Let me help you."

Having no real counter to that, Flynn obediently lay back with his back flat on the ground and his legs folded upwards, and then began feeling soft lumps of earth jut up and prod along his spine and pelvis. Yuri's eyes fluttered closed as he used the ground itself to feel the bones of his body and his own hands to trace his flesh. It felt odd for him to be treated by a spirit, let alone his spirit lover who had all the elements available to him in his abode to diagnose his problems. A doctor would be pressed to use their own hands or some special instruments, but Yuri utilized the forces of nature. The best the human could do was inhale deeply and exhale all the air in his lungs in an attempt to relax. Meanwhile, Yuri traced the flow of blood, felt the beats of the heart, and listened to every breath. 

Long minutes passed before, "There's a part of your hip that's broken. Not shattered, but yeah. Broken."

"That's a relief," Flynn said as he was pushed up to a sitting position by a rock that moved itself. Yuri glared at him. "Silver linings, right? I didn't want to experience a broken spine. Have I told you that one time in my childhood? I broke my toe once."

"Damn," he said nonchalantly as leaves and a mortar and pestle appeared from thin air. "You'd imagine someone who had broken a bone before to be more freaked out about breaking another."

"I couldn't walk for months. I couldn't play with my friends. But that's how I got into reading. I always try to find the positive side of things."

"A hunter and a reader." Yuri began grinding the leaves in the hollow of the mortar. "You're amazing."

"You think so?"

"I've been thinking that for two decades now, silly," Yuri smirked as he thwacked Flynn's forehead with the other end of the stone pestle.

"Ow! You weren't supposed to give me more injuries!"

"That's what you get sometimes for saying silly shit. Now you better chew on these leaves. It'll make you sleep so I can heal you without pain."

Flynn opened his mouth and allowed the poultice on his tongue. "Oh. Kinda minty." He ground the thing in his teeth for a few moments more while nodding. "You know, just saying, if you weren't talking to me, a lot of people might faint at the idea of you slinging out curses like a pirate. Oh, I can't feel my mouth."

"As if you know what pirates are," the spirit sniped back. "And don't worry about your mouth. It's not deadly."

"Okay. And I also happen to read a lot of storybooks," Flynn said through a mouthful of crushed leaves and leaf juice. "I'm also feeling very, very _woozy._ "

"Yeah. It's supposed to put you to sleep."

Flynn's eyes closed and opened for a few more moments before he staggered to the side, slumping down the side of the raised rock. Yuri caught him before he crumpled to the ground, and whisked him away to their tiny hut at the top of the mountain to treat his injury better and to let him sleep on something much softer than the ground.

Flynn woke up the next day, the break on his hip already healed.

* * *

Flynn turned fifty-seven when he was afflicted with a disease. Yuri spent most of his time freaking out, starting from the moment he heard Flynn retch and cough. It only got worse from that day. He could no longer stomach food nor sit up on his own. The disease ate away his healthy body, so much that he rapidly thinned. Even moving brought him great pain. Neighbors and cousins helped him, but they still were never aware of the presence of the mountain spirit in their midst. Only when they were alone did Yuri reveal himself.

"Flynn, please," Yuri pleaded, "this'll help alleviate your pain."

"I can't eat.... can't swallow... anything solid."

Yuri reached for the glass of water. "I'll make this ginger into very fine powder and mix it with water."

"Ginger water tastes terrible..."

"You're not a kid, Flynn. Come on. I'll do my best to make it taste good, okay?" He closed his fist around the ginger and crushed it in his grip. Its juices oozed out of the slits between his fingers and dripped down into the glass.

"Could you make it taste like roast chicken?"

Yuri smirked. "That's kind of a tall order, don't you think? But don't worry. I'll do my best."

Flynn sank into the pillows happily. "Thank you."

When the human closed his eyes, Yuri dropped his mask. In his purple eyes he showed all the concern rioting in his mind and soul. His gaze roamed all over his lover's face, finding just how fast the disease took over; pale skin, gaunt face, sunken eyes. His chest rose and fell shakily, as if he found it difficult to breathe. 

The spirit could feel the human slowly wilt through the little piece of magic still left inside of Flynn, and he dreaded. He dreaded every breath, anxious it might be the last.

"How does it feel like to never have to be sick like this?" Flynn rasped, eyes still closed as if he were too tired to even open them.

"I feel normal. I've never been sick."

"I guess spirits never get afflicted with any kinds of ailment." He opened his mouth to take in a deeper breath. "And I have many reasons to believe spirits would never know simply because they do not deal with the same problems as humans have."

 _Sickness. Fatigue. Hunger. Death._ Those words used to mean truly nothing to him, until he met and fell in love with Flynn. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Ah... I'm sorry, Yuri." His words were tinged with so much regret that Yuri felt compelled to forgive. "I... don't know what came over me."

"Don't sweat it. I'm done with your chickenger juice. Here."

"Chickenger. Chicken-ginger. Haha."

"Laughter's the best medicine. Mine is second-best. Drink up, Flynny." He carefully tilted the glass up once it made contact with Flynn's lips. Against the gagging, the human did all he could to swallow the liquid, taking several breaks before he finished the entire glass.

"It didn't taste like roast chicken."

"It's a liquid. I'm a Caretaker, not a miracle worker!"

That brought loud laughter out of Flynn, which warmed the spirit's heart. His chortling sounded just like how he always did. Deep and from the heart. It allowed Yuri's own heart to rest as he joined in the laughing.

Flynn recovered from the illness and was able to eat all the roast chicken he wanted, but wrinkles covered his face and years had to pass before he could regain much of his strength. Much of the strength of his age, anyway.

* * *

Flynn was sixty-one when he was invited to teach young aspiring hunters the basics of hunting. Despite having just retired from hunting, he readily taught them how to string bows and how to use them. He told them of the secrets of tracking, and how to bring down a fast animal. The young students tried to ask how he was able to hunt alone many times and emerge unscathed, and Flynn only replied that loving the mountain and respecting it would yield many rewards. Once the little class was dismissed, the young hunters were dispersed and Flynn was left alone, there was a small breeze and the smell of faint orchid.

"Sorry. It didn't feel right to withhold secrets completely." Flynn turned towards the tree and smiled at Yuri, who was seated primly on a thick branch. His hair and the silk of his robes flew in the wind, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and his mouth stretched into an amused smirk. He faded into a white puff of mist and reappeared before Flynn at the drop of a hat.

There was a split second of Yuri's smile cracking once he noticed he could see the top of Flynn's head and their eyes were no longer at level with each other.

"Well, you could have told them the mountain was also in love with you," Yuri said, schooling his expression into a happy one.

"I might get some competition," Flynn joked, "I think I want to eliminate all those vying for your hand before they even think of it."

"Ooh, never thought you'd be the jealous type."

"I'm not as handsome as I used to be."

The truth hit Yuri like an ice-cold breeze. Laugh lines adorned the corners of Flynn's eyes and mouth. His head was bedecked with tufts of hair that used to be completely blond but had grayed. There was only the occasional yellow strand. The way his back bent forward indicated how he no longer possessed the agility he used to have. Dread filled the chambers of Yuri's heart and flowed in his veins. Flynn's life was becoming shorter and shorter.

"But I love you," Yuri muttered, bumping his knuckles with the other's.

"I'm sorry. I should have considered my joke first... knowing you and all."

"Sorry too. I get a little freaked out every time," he admitted meekly.

"We should forget things for a while," Flynn helpfully suggested. "Can you still bring me to the spot where I first kissed you and I acted like a dumbass right after?"

The spirit smirked. "Why not." He wrapped his arms around Flynn, and inhaled the scent of his hair. "Be there in a jiffy."

Instantly the couple disappeared into thin air and rematerialized on the very same spot on the very same cliff, where one could see the village and the deep blue sea in the far distance. They sat down on the boulder and treated themselves to the serene beauty of nature. Flynn leaned his gray head on Yuri's shoulder, his arms around the latter's waist.

Life slowed down considerably, but Yuri felt more and more fear with every passing day. 

* * *

Flynn was already eighty-five when he began needing a cane to stand and take a few steps, already having lived the majority of his life completely healthy. His body was rapidly deteriorating by the year. For Flynn it was downright difficult just getting to the bakery at the adjacent street, let alone returning home. His bones ached and his joints creaked with every movement. People came to assist him, with the children next to his home being so kind to him. It was the age Flynn finally admitted his eyesight was so blurry he needed spectacles to see somewhat clearer, but the sharpness of the world no longer graced him. 

It also meant Flynn no longer truly saw the beauty of Yuri's face.

"Haven't you heard the rumors?" Flynn rasped at the glowing shape sitting beside his bed, radiating more light than even the sunlight flooding the room. "They think I'm the Caretaker of Mount Vesperia, disguised as a human."

"I'm not sure how to feel about you usurping my position," the spirit replied mirthfully, "but no, haven't heard stuff."

"The neighbors keep saying their kids are healthy and their crops are bountiful. They think helping me is what's causing their fortune. Have you been showering them with blessings because they're helping me?"

"I am at no liberty to confirm nor deny these allegations."

The old, ailing Flynn chuckled. "So that's a yes." 

Yuri sighed. "You... you just refuse to let me help you-"

"It'll be unfair to everyone else if you did anything more." Flynn twiddled the purple crystal dangling over his chest. _Long life, protection, and luck._ He was definitely blessed with long life and protection, but luck remained to be seen. "Anything more than this."

Yuri took one of Flynn's hands and clasped it between his hands, kissing his fingers. "I love you. I want to do _everything_ in the world for you."

Thunder growled from the heavens and the clouds began to collect together. Even though Flynn's senses were dulled by time, he felt the darkening of the sky and the rumbling of thunder. He lifted Yuri's hand to his lips and kissed the soft, taut skin.

"Don't cry, my dear," Flynn said, offering Yuri a soft smile. "I want to enjoy the sun as much as I can. The warmth helps with the pain."

So Yuri did his best not to let his tears fall, but he still thought non-stop about the hand in his. Against his own youthful and glowing hand was thin, his knuckles separated by lumpy bone and his palms and wrists veiny with age. The skin was mottled with the telltale spots of a long time on earth and was loose, the muscle and fat underneath it atrophied and weak.

"Yuri..."

Yuri looked up, eyes still a little wet, but no tears fell out. All of a sudden, he noted how dull Flynn's azure blue eyes looked. It wasn't a pleasant discovery. "Yeah?" His voice came out thick, so much so that no one could be fooled by any feeble attempt to veil his fears.

"I'm glad that you love me. It's the greatest honor in the world. I love you."

The sunlight peeked through the clumps of clouds floating above the mountain. He could at least not cry if it meant bringing his beloved human comfort for the unknown number of his remaining days. 

* * *

Flynn was ninety-three when he died. A long life for humans of his time, yet still tragically transient. A forever trapped within a mere blink of an eye.

Humans age, and humans die, unlike spirits like Yuri—eternally youthful and immortal. Yuri should have known from the time Flynn's skin first wrinkled, his hair first grayed, and his eyes first cloud over, he should have known from the very day Raven warned him of the heartbreak. And even if he'd known, no amount of blessings and spiritual favor could undo the most powerful force of nature, a god in itself: time. Flynn spent his final breaths in Yuri's warm embrace, murmuring the sweetest words of love and thanking Yuri for loving him back and granting him the most joyful life a mere mortal human could ever wish for. When he breathed his last sigh, Yuri took the crystal charm he had created for him and kissed him one last time in one last declaration of love, before vanishing quietly and returning to his home.

He felt the footsteps of many humans bringing a coffin up the mountain, the striking of shovels into the earth, and the wood being laid down in the grave. It must have been the village's way of respecting Flynn as someone close to the mountain. In a way Flynn would eternally rest near Yuri, but Yuri was now forever cursed with feeling Flynn's grave whenever his feet touched the ground. He retreated to the solace of his hut at the top of the mountain, and he spent his days after Flynn's passing in grief, finally releasing all the pent-up terror he felt in the past decades. He tried following Flynn's words that one time they discussed his mortality, but the pain was too much and emotions could not be suppressed.

The next years were spent crying at the loss of his love. The thunder was his anguished sobs and the rains were his flowing tears. Wailing wind circled and tore roofs and trees out of their anchors. His sadness was so potent his rains didn't just affect his abode, but also places far away from it. The winds carried his heartbreaking howls to the north and the south, to the east and to the west. News of his beloved human's passing must have reached even the farthest lands, because he heard many prayers to try and banish his sorrow and for the higher gods to find a way to restore his happiness.

Eventually Yuri's intense mourning waned, yet when his fingers felt the glowing crystal that used to hover over Flynn's beating, _living_ heart and when his soul ached for the kiss of a long-dead human, the clouds would clump together to block the sun and the birds would be silent. Gone were the days that his grief became too much to bear all the time, but his heart's craving for Flynn's presence still sometimes caused torrential weather. He still sought his solace.

The age came and the age went. Humans thanked the spirit of the mountain for bountiful harvests born of the rains, and prayed whenever the storms flooded their settlements and washed their homes away. They still revered him, respected him, but things had changed. Whenever Yuri thought of the humans, he thought of Flynn, and it rained more and more. It changed his mountain in some ways, the most notable being that the humans moved to higher elevation to avoid flooding. There were even foreigners that came, and the locals taught them to respect his abode and care for it, lest the Caretaker spirit punish them. Every single time he felt the prayers of children imploring him not to turn them into frogs whenever they made little mistakes, he chuckled at first and cried later.

In his sadness, he never strayed far outside of his home. Humans no longer saw him as commonly as they used to, only reduced to seeing him between trees and from a distance. Sometimes he wondered if the humans by Mount Vesperia ever mentioned to foreign villages that their patron spirit was still in mourning and preferred solace, because other spirits tended to appear to humans a lot. Now his only visitors were other spirits as well as some of the higher gods. Since Yuri didn't come out so often, he didn't notice the lake forming at the basin at the foot of the mountain, fed by rivers near and far that had formed from his weeping. Centuries had passed when he finally noticed the humans had completely changed—the hunters began hunting with long contraptions and wore different clothes. By that time, the descendants of the humans from a thousand years ago had mingled and mixed with people from other villages and formed a bustling city complex, perhaps even a large kingdom, at the foot of the mountainside, and when he heard the wind and went to investigate one early morning, he found that the hollow had become a lake. 

Yuri felt invigorated at the sight of the water and strayed away from the cover of the tree canopies. A dream from a thousand years ago was fulfilled; now he laid eyes upon waters vaster than shallow lakes and marshes. The sight of deep water, with lily pads floating near the shoreline, it was all amazing. His pale skin instantly illuminated and warmed by the orange rays of sunlight peeking just out of the jagged summit of his mountain, he approached the lake and knelt down by the shore of this new waterform. The surface was tantalizing with its reflection of the sky behind his head, but he didn't see that his own reflection was mirroring not his face, but showed a grinning man with short blond hair. He was too mesmerized with the sight that he decided to touch the cool lake.

Yuri brought his hands together to form a cup, scooped some water up, and let the water splash on his face. His aim was off, though, and he ended up actually splashing only his mouth and nose, and not the upper half of his face. What's more was that after that, a jet of water spurted from the surface of the lake and shot him right on the forehead, making him jump with an undignified shriek. Angrily, Yuri swiped a sleeve of his robe over his soaking wet face and yelled incoherently at the lake, which seemed to be _laughing,_ the ripples making little waves that disturbed the lilies and the quiet fish below the clear surface. The water was alive, and really just pranked him? He was _so_ ready to be teaching this newborn water spirit to respect the mountain it was doing water things beside. The Caretaker of Vesperia would not be disrespected by some new _piece of shit lake spirit._ For some reason, though, he had not thought to cleave a boulder off the ground he stood on and hurl it at the water as he was overcome with the intense urge not to, so he only gestured wildly towards his towering home and screeched, "What the hell?! Do you know who I am?! I'm the-"

"What the hell right back at you, Yuri. I just woke up from a thousand year slumber and you kiss me already?" a familiar voice replied, causing Yuri to pause. The water spirit's voice was a voice he hadn't heard for a millennium, a voice to whom his heart belonged. His mouth flapped open and closed and his throat made spluttering noises. It took him a long time of collecting himself to speak out the name on his mind.

"Flynn?"

A glob of water jutted out of the surface before morphing to form the contours and curves of a face and the spikes of hair. Eventually the water flowed down to reveal a head with tanned skin, sapphire blue eyes, and golden hair. All of it was free from the weathering of time like how Yuri had last seen him ages ago. That deceptively youthful face smirked up from the lakewater, softening when Yuri began to quiver in place. The new spirit of the mountainside lake was Flynn. It was undoubtedly his long-dead human Flynn. He bore the same face and wore the same hair.

Flynn emerged out in steps, getting closer. Whilst Yuri was robed in the white mist and the various dark hues of the soil and of the flora, Flynn was decked in the orange and purple colors of the sunrise sky, a mirror of the heavens. On his breast was a beautiful lily flower, which possessed a brilliant violet hue, similar to the color of Yuri's eyes, and a center of bright yellow, just like Flynn's blond hair. As Flynn approached, Yuri pushed himself on legs of jelly and staggered, stumbling right onto Flynn's open arms.

"Hey, watch out," Flynn said with a soothing voice, "you were losing balance there." He righted Yuri and flicked his hands. Droplets of water that had stained the silk of Yuri's robe followed the motion of his hand and collected together in one orb that hovered over his palm. Yuri's jaw was on the ground as he observed the globe form another shape. Creases and clefts formed on it and two long strands of water protruded out on opposite sides. When the sculpture suddenly turned into ice, it formed the shape of a hibiscus flower, glittering as it refracted the amber sunlight. It hovered over to Yuri, who caught it with trembling fingers. Surprisingly, it wasn't cold to the touch nor fragile, rather it was warm and hardy.

"It's just like how it was before, right?" Flynn asked. "Like how I first tried courting you."

It was. It was a hibiscus bloom again, a nigh-perfect replica of the flower he had been given eons ago, but now Flynn wasn't nervous on the verge of cowering. Now Flynn was confident, and he even made him a gift out of his new power. Something pricked the inside of his nose, and in no time he was sniffling.

"Flynn..." Yuri said, and then threw his arms around Flynn's neck and crushed his body close to himself. His tears of joy flowed freely as he sobbed happily into Flynn's silken shoulder.

"Hey, Yuri. Long time no see," Flynn breathed out and returned his embrace, placing kisses on his dark long hair that smelled vaguely of tree bark. 

"How… how are you...?"

"A spirit now?”

Yuri pulled back and nodded to that. "Yeah… you were human..."

Flynn's lips pulled thin in a shy smile. "A certain someone forgot to take part of his divinity back, and then cried for me so much he flooded a lot of lowlands, created new rivers, and made a whole new lake. In a lot of ways, that someone made sure he resurrected me into a long-lived spirit against all the chances in the world."

Yuri flicked his eyes to view the newly-discovered lake, glistening orange and purple. "I cried because all my fears became true the day you passed away." All words stopped there, stillness punctuated only by Flynn's fingers raking through Yuri's hair and the _plop plop plop_ of drizzle on the water. "I missed you so much, Flynn."

Flynn smoothened his bangs and tucked a stray hair back. He summoned the icy flower from Yuri's hand and slipped the stem to rest on his ear. "I know, my beautiful. I'm sorry I took so long, but don't cry anymore." 

It achieved the opposite effect however. The drizzle became light rain, and Flynn shielded them both from the onslaught of Yuri's most joyful emotions. Despite the falling rain, no clouds blanketed the sky. The sun shone as it rained, and soon Yuri calmed enough for him to talk again.

"What are you called?"

"Flynn. You forget my name?"

"The lake, silly. What's your lake called?"

"I think the humans—wow, it's weird—they call my lake Aurnion."

Aurnion Lake. What a beautiful name that fit Flynn. It rolled off the tongue in a pleasant way. He burrowed his nose on the crook of his neck and kissed the soft skin peeking out of the robe's collar.

Yuri muttered to his shoulder, face still freshly wet, "Flynn, new spirit of Aurnion."

"Not exactly, to be honest... I think I'm more a spirit of your rain. But it's just a technicality, I guess..."

He slapped the side of his head half-heartedly. "I don't care about that. You're... you're beautiful." He inhaled and exhaled, taking in the view of the new waterform. "It's a lake. A whole, big lake. I can't believe it."

"Didn't you say you'd never seen anything bigger than a 'glorified puddle'?" Flynn laughed.

"Yeah." He pressed his body closer to the other's, leaving no space between them. "You made my dream come true. I love you so much."

"Yuri, my love," Flynn cooed, "I love you too."

"I never thought you'd... you'd..."

"Ascend? I didn't, too, but I guess I'd like to spend eternity with the spirit I love, whose tears brought me back to life, so he can finally love me without fearing my death."

Yuri smiled against his shoulder and lifted his head up to gaze upon a face he missed. "I'd like that too. We should start eternity right now. How have you... how are you?"

"I'm feeling a little giddy and talkative."

Yuri felt more and more comfortable, slipping into his routine from so, so long ago. "What's up?"

"I think you should know what happened the moment I came back to this world. I just have been awake for a short time, you see. Maybe a little over a month. And you won't believe how humans pick up the presence of a higher being and start doing stuff about that."

"What did they do?"

Flynn chuckled. "Yesterday at sunrise, I saw two parents dunk their kid's head in the lake and start talking about how my waters must have special properties that'll make children stop bleeding from the nose. The poor girl was crying, too. I felt so bad about it that I sent a lily flower to match her pink hair."

"Does it have powers, though?"

Flynn only shrugged. "I'm not sure about the extent of my powers yet. One month as a spirit, remember?"

"You'll get used to it."

"I guess. Sometimes I forget I don't drown anymore, and sometimes I freak out when I suddenly disappear. Like how you do with the vanishing magic you use." His eyes flicked down when he spotted something glint in the sunrise light, and widened in recognition. "Hey. That's my necklace."

"Oh." Yuri reached behind his neck and unclasped the two ends of the thread. "Yeah. This is yours."

"Thief." Both spirits burst into cackles when Flynn muttered that, like Yuri hadn't been crying just a few minutes ago. The mountain spirit placed the amulet around the other's neck right where it belonged.

"It looks better on you," Yuri said.

"I'm going to make something for you, too," Flynn declared before the other could even protest. His body instantly dissipated into droplets of water that fell back into the lake, so Yuri was forced to sit down and wait. Beneath the surface, unusual currents swirled around the roots under the water lilies. Soon Flynn rematerialized above the surface in a boom of fluid that turned instantly into vapor. In his hands were some thin roots of the lilies and a tiny and smooth pebble the size of a thumb.

"I've been waiting for three hundred years," Yuri joked once he saw his most beloved casually sit beside him. It was still odd seeing Flynn, who used to be human, traverse the world with magic.

"Sorry for making you wait. But here. I think it's time for me to actually give you your own amulet. Spirits do this, right?"

Yuri smiled, recalling the time he gave him the crystal and said those things. "Yeah."

"I'm still a little new at this, so... um..." Flynn trailed off as he summoned a small-sized orb of water to rise from the lake, before carefully wrapping it around the stone. There was a crack, and the pebble broke apart to reveal crystal bands of different hues of blue. Then, he bore holes into the the geode where the lily roots wove through and tied themselves around. The water dripped off the new amulet. "There we go." 

"You're supposed to put a blessing on it," Yuri giggled when Flynn tried to put it around his neck.

"Oh, right, uh. Here." He blew on the geode pendant— _eternal happiness, enduring peace, and everlasting strength._ Finally the newly made amulet was placed around his neck, and Yuri looked down on his own necklace.

"It's really nice." There were really no words to describe the beauty of the gift, especially that it was born of love. Yuri just took moments to quietly admire the present.

"Thanks. I did a good job, right?"

"For someone just starting out on this spirit business, you get the hang of things really fast."

"Heh," Flynn grinned, scratching his head, just like how he used to do. "Oh, also, I want to show you my waters," the new spirit suggested, "just like how you showed me the secrets of your mountain long, long ago."

Yuri grinned. "You better show me the weird fishes. I've never really seen much live fish before." He laughed as Flynn tugged on his wrist and pulled him to the lake, his feet firm on top of the water. Yuri was at first apprehensive, knowing things usually sank when on it, but as he tentatively laid a foot, the water pushed back, allowing him to walk on its surface. His first steps were unsure, but as Flynn gently demonstrated his mastery over his new home, he grew more confident, until they stood at the middle, far from the shore.

"I forgot. My new home has an entrance fee."

"Bullshit." 

Flynn chuckled. "My price is one proper kiss on _my_ lips and not my water. Think you can afford it?"

Yuri didn't object, and hurriedly paid his fee. He surged forward and pressed his lips on Flynn's, whose mouth still felt the same as it used to against his. Soft and pliant, maybe a little chapped here and there. Flynn kissed back happily, wrapping his arms around his lovely mountain spirit's waist and tipped their bodies sideways. Yuri squeaked in surprise and held on the giggling Flynn with all his limbs. Both of them splashed into the lake, and sank down to the bottom, where unseen wonders were waiting to be explored.

* * *

Shortly after their heartfelt reunion, the two spirits were truly united in heart and soul. With the blessing of nature and to the utter surprise of the other spirits, they were wed, and many spirits flocked to the top of Mount Vesperia where they held a grand celebration for the true end of Yuri's suffering and the rebirth of a human soul to become a new spirit. The celebrations manifested as sunny days, bountiful harvests for years, healthy infants being born, and a long time of tranquility. 

Not long after, a rich freshwater spring emerged, draining into the lake from somewhere near the mountain's base through a narrow and shallow river. The spring as well as the little river was said to have the same magical properties as the water of the lake. In a part of the river, flowing water wore away at soft rock and swirled around harder stone. One day, as Flynn and Yuri strolled together hand in hand, they found a little dog-like creature with dark blue and creamy white fur barking at them from atop one of the rocks jutting out of the water. The creature—a new spirit—hopped off the rock and surfed on the foam, and once it reached land, it shook itself dry and circled the couple, wagging its tail and standing up on its hind legs.

Flynn and Yuri picked up the young river's puppy spirit and named it 'Repede', after the rapids it was found in.

Since then, the Caretaker spirits of Mount Vesperia and Lake Aurnion have lived together happily, even after thousands upon thousands of years. Their love was so strong, that even when the mountain gained new summits after earthquakes, that even when the lake grew large and deep enough to touch the salty sea, that even when their forms changed and the humans came and went, they faithfully loved each other. 

It is said that whenever rain showered on earth as the sun still shone, the spirits Flynn and Yuri are celebrating the day they became one. It is said that, sometimes in the early mornings, when the mist is thick, humans would spot two faint dancing figures on the lake and hear peals of laughter and the smacks of kisses, as well as the wuffs of a dog. It is said that when the wind and the lake are both still, the two spirits were enjoying a peaceful day together. It is said that humans should treat the lake and the mountain as one, as disrespecting one will cause the other to bring banes. It is even said that until now, the spirits still fondly watch over the humans, even though they have faded into myth.


End file.
